Bad Customer Service

 03/08/2026

I do not think that companies actually teach customer service anymore (except maybe Chick-fil-A, which has it figured out). Most of the time, it feels like they just hire them and throw them out to the wolves, hoping they show up tomorrow. I cannot tell you how many drive-thrus I've been in where I wonder, "Where the hell did they get this person?"

Here are some scary facts about how poor service can affect your business.

Knowledge is power!

• Most business people think they have few dissatisfied customers because most do not complain.

1. Think of your own record as a consumer and as a complainer. How often have you been dissatisfied with a product, a service, a meal in a restaurant, or a wait in line?
2. How often have you complained to the management, the manufacturer, or the retailer?

• A recent study indicated that the average business never hears from 96 percent of its unhappy customers.

1. While 96 percent of the unhappy customers do not complain to you, they do let off steam and spread their dissatisfaction with the product or service.
2. They complain to other customers and potential customers -family, friends, and associates at work, and anyone else who will listen.
3. They feel wronged and frustrated and want to talk about it.

• For every complaint received, the average business has another 26 customers with problems, at least six of which are serious.

1. Customers who have problems and complain are giving you a chance to keep their business.
2. An unhappy customer cannot be kept quiet. However, you can regain their support by solving complaints quickly.
3. These customers may not only come back but also give them something positive to talk about.
4. Surveys show that you can win back between 54 and 70 percent of these complainers by resolving their complaints.
5. According to consumer surveys, a person who has had an unpleasant experience with a business will tell 9 or 10 other people.

• Approximately 13 percent will tell more than 20 other people.

1. This negative word-of-mouth can be very harmful to a business.
2. In today's complex marketplace, more and more consumers are basing their purchasing decisions on the advice of people they know.
3. Results indicate that up to 95 percent of this group will become loyal customers again if their complaints are handled well and promptly.

• It is 13 times more expensive to attract new customers than to keep your current ones! A copy of these facts and more like them is at the University of Michigan Extension and can be found at: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modtd/33209845.html
  
  Thankx for Reading my Rant!
  
  BigMike